as in caught
to move fast enough to get even with
she had to hurry to overtake her friends, who had forgotten their umbrellas the thunderstorm overtook them suddenly
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Recent Examples of overtaken
Recreational use dwindled in the 1970s and the park was overtaken by dirt bikes.
—
Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 14 Feb. 2026
In more mature planetary nebulae — or even in preplanetary nebulae that are closer to the end of their preplanetary stage (with hotter stars powering them) — the ejection process has been muddied by a thousand years or more of earlier ejecta being overtaken by faster-moving, more recent ejecta.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Most of the respondents, who hail from 72 countries, said that, by 2036, the US would no longer be the world’s dominant power, as China will have overtaken it economically.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Freezing temperatures have overtaken many parts of the country this winter, prompting people to crank up the heat in their homes.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Sometime in the late 19th century, the economy of the islands of Great Britain was overtaken in size by the United States and Imperial Germany.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Trader Joe's has overtaken Publix as the nation's favorite grocery store, according to data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Rather than being overtaken by large-scale development or mass tourism, Cayo has grown slowly and organically, resulting in an atmosphere that feels genuine.
—Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The fire department further said that the two individuals were reportedly overtaken by some type of gas inside the mill.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 14 Feb. 2026
In more mature planetary nebulae — or even in preplanetary nebulae that are closer to the end of their preplanetary stage (with hotter stars powering them) — the ejection process has been muddied by a thousand years or more of earlier ejecta being overtaken by faster-moving, more recent ejecta.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Most of the respondents, who hail from 72 countries, said that, by 2036, the US would no longer be the world’s dominant power, as China will have overtaken it economically.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Freezing temperatures have overtaken many parts of the country this winter, prompting people to crank up the heat in their homes.
—Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Sometime in the late 19th century, the economy of the islands of Great Britain was overtaken in size by the United States and Imperial Germany.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
Trader Joe's has overtaken Publix as the nation's favorite grocery store, according to data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Rather than being overtaken by large-scale development or mass tourism, Cayo has grown slowly and organically, resulting in an atmosphere that feels genuine.
—Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The fire department further said that the two individuals were reportedly overtaken by some type of gas inside the mill.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overtaken
Verb
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In his first playoff game, a thriller against the Los Angeles Rams, McMillan caught five passes for 81 yards, using his connection with quarterback Bryce Young to get the ball downfield.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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One month after the US carried out an attack in Venezuela to capture its president, civilians in the South American country remain caught between uncertainty and expectations of governmental change.—
CNN 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Niklas was the only one who chased Nordic combined initially.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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The warrant declaration states that footage from a Ring camera captured images of Rebecca Marodi fleeing their home as her wife chased her.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtaken. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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